Le Wharf

A funny thing happened to me this year around my birthday. Well the book happened really and I scarcely had time to do anything. And as the case may be, the birthday planning fell to the wayside. I had wanted to visit Berowra Waters Inn for the longest time ever since my advertising days. The Thursday or Friday lunch was legendary-mainly because it was quite a distance and you weren’t expected back and if you timed it right, you ended up with an almost three day weekend. Sadly this never eventuated and this year, by the time I got myself together for my birthday it was a week before my birthday. I knew that there wouldn’t have a single spot, even on the pier itself, even if I begged. So I set it aside for next year.

Luckily, next year’s birthday came early in the form of a remarkable weekend away and Mr NQN and I were driving away from Brooklyn after our relaxing night at Dangar Island on our way to Berowra Waters Inn. We drive past what I unaffectionately term the “Hill O’death” aka the windy Berowra Water Road high above the road below and with as many twists and turns as a formula one raceway. We park the car (a tip, book for an early lunch as the carpark gets crowded on weekends and you don’t want to be schlepping your good self up the hill in heels) and we make our way down to the private ferry wharf where a ferry driver shuttles back and forth across the water picking up guests and depositing them on the wharf in front of the restaurant. It’s a short five minute ride and we alight and climb the wooden walkway (caution, leave your spindly spike heels behind) and up the sandstone stairs to the restaurant.

With floor to ceiling windows, inside is chic, very North Shore and all view and service is friendly, deferential and helpful. We’re dithering over what to get so they suggest alternating with the dessert assiette for two and possibly a cheese course if we have room which will give us a taste of everything on the menu. You can have five courses including tea, coffee and petit fours for $150 or $210 including wines or six courses with each additional course $25 each of $35 with matched wines.

Amuse Bouche

We start with a glass of Billecart Salmon champagne to soothe the nerves (not that the nerves were jangled in any way). We’re given an amuse bouche, salmon and eggplant caviar on a crisp. The crisp is warm and very buttery and the salmon and eggplant caviar lovely.

Bread with French butter stick

“Oooh look at this butter!” I exclaim to Mr NQN. because I am easily besotted by butter. It’s is a salted French butter in a foil wrapped baton shape. The bread is warm but I’m not particularly taken by it, it’s very wheaty for my taste (it sounds odd I know).

Chilled Vichyssoise, Oscietra & Salmon Caviars, Beignets Of Hawkesbury Oysters served with Hewitson ‘Gun Metal’ Riesling 2009, Eden Valley, South Australia

Said to be their signature dish, the kitchen sends out two of these so that the courses can come out in pairs as there are nine savoury courses). Lucky thing too as I might have fought Mr NQN for the moussey Vichyssoise which is light and airy as a mousse. Inside it halfway down are the two caviars, a larger red salmon caviar and a small black Osciestra caviar and on top are tiny, tiny breadcrumbs. The beignets of local oysters are crispy and hot and sit on top of a bed of creamy leeks. Heaven. I pick up the vichyssoise cup and try to lick up extra bits from the side of the cup before realising that I may be embarrassing Mr NQN when I see his expression of horror.

White Asparagus, Green Asparagus, Slow Poached Organic Egg, Fresh Black Winter Truffle From Manjimup served with Krinklewood (Biodynamic) Chardonnay 2008, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

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Bell’s at Killcare: Take One!

“Honey you packed my cosmetics box didn’t you?” I ask Mr NQN.

“No” he says looking me alarmed.

“Haha very amusing” I say. Mr NQN is always joking around. Like. A. Fool.

“No I’m serious, I haven’t” he says looking at me worried. This could be a case of boy who cried wolf but there’s something about the look he is giving me that makes me realise that my makeup and my skincare is actually sitting back at home.

Eeek!! I do a quick mental calculation and realise that it would take too long and be almost impossible to restock them so we make the wild trek back home across the city. I run inside and grab my vanity case and we head back out toward Bells at Killcare.

Bell’s at Killcare: Take Two!

The traffic crawls along until we get to the highway and we arrive in scenic Killcare in the Central Coast. As we left Sydney around 3pm along with it seems half of Sydney,it has taken us a little over two hours. I was given the iphone4 by Optus to test out the cooking applications (quick verdict: not as exciting as I thought it would be, I couldn’t find a recipe for a pork loin roast on any of the sites) so we thought that we’d use it as a GPS instead which works a treat.

We reach Bells at Killcare and the grounds are spacious and stunning. We drive to our suite and park the car in front. Our suite is more like a 1 bedroom cottage with a kitchenette and our own private patio. Inside it’s decorated in a white and blue beach house style. The pillow on the bed says “Unwind” and I drop my bags gratefully and obey. Legendary chef Stefano aka Steve Manfredi runs the restaurant here and he also arranges for the gourmet breakfast hampers.

I glance at the table and see four pieces of fruit and two packets of granola.

Mr NQN says” Umm is that the gourmet breakfast?”.

“Surely not” I answer. I then go the fridge where there is a hamper of goodies. There are all sorts of treats including organic orange juice, house baked bread (baked daily), free range eggs from the chickens on the property, bacon made by Pino Tomini-Foresti using hormone and antibiotic free Bangalow Sweet Pork, house made sausages (pork, sage, garlic and white wine) and house made jams, preserves and compotes. There is also Stefano Manfredi’s coffee.

In the bathroom there is a two person spa bath with two head rests and Aveda skincare products. There is also a fireplace to heat up the room which I assign Mr NQN to tend to. But I don’t have time to dawdle. I have to get ready for dinner!

We walk into the manor house and a smiling face greets us. “Lorraine?” Steve Manfredi says and greets us warmly. He explains that they have a table ready for us but if we would like to have a drink in the bar we can do so before dinner.

Peach bellini with olives and savoury shortbread

What better to have to kick off a weekend than a gorgeous peach bellini! We sip our delicious bellinis with mixed olives and buttery savoury shortbread biscuits. After relaxing we make our way into the main dining room and take a look at the menu. The maitre’d helps us with our selection as there are so many things that stand out.

Misto antipasto $26

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